Mikhail Vylkalev
Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Vylkalev was a Russian soldier in the Red Army and the Soviet Armed Forces who served in World War II, then lead Soviet forces in the Soviet-Afghan War. He was once a helpful ally to Viktor Reznov, but was mainly using him to achieve his own goals and get revenge on him. He serves as a major supporting NPC, and later on, he becomes one of the two main antagonists of ''Call of Duty: Iron Wolf'', the other being Karl von Hershing. He is voiced by Mark Hamill. Biography World War II Battle of Stalingrad Vylkalev was sent to fight at Stalingrad, and he fight in the outskirts of the city. He then fights to defend a village and fight off German forces. However, SS troops of the German Asien Korps lead by Karl von Hershing attack, capturing the village, and then Hershing massacres the Russian civilians and Soviet prisoners left in the village. Vylkalev tries to engage Hershing, but he sees his wounded men, who he has loyally served from the beginning of the war, in need of medical attention. Boarding a German truck, Vylkalev gets them into Stalingrad, and just near the medical station. However, Viktor Reznov appears on the road, and believing them to be Germans, fires on the truck, causing it to crash and kill all of Vylkalev's men. After this, Vylkalev swears vengeance on Reznov. Battle of Kharkov Vylkalev was sent to fight in Kharkov, being part of a unit sent into the city and holding their ground. As Vylkalev fights to hold his position, Russian reinforcements lead by Viktor Reznov arrive to assist. Vylkalev decides to start using Reznov, so he orders them to help him take a train station, and they fight their way to take the station, with Vylkalev help Reznov and Dimitri Petrenko to fight off soldiers of the Asien Korps. Vylkalev then fights to defend Russian lines and a supply hold, fighting off German assaults in a fierce battle. He fights to cover the retreat of Russian forces from the city, and is seemingly killed. However, it is shown that he survived when he returns and rescues Reznov and Dimitri from the clutches of Hershing, then they fight past Waffen SS troops to escape from the area. Battle of Kursk Reaching a Russian camp, Vylkalev discusses plans with Reznov and Yuri Kamarov to hold off German forces at Kursk, but Vylkalev then informs them about the German Asien Korps, a powerful and secretive Nazi German military corps stationed in Asia, with their soldiers being lead by Hershing. Vylkalev fights at Kursk, with Vylkalev helping to assault a German supply camp. As they fight through the camp and make their way to escape, gaining valuable information, they see Hershing appear and brutally murder Kamarov. Vylkalev takes Reznov back to another village, then they fight to defend the village, fighting off German assaults. Later on, Vylkalev fights German forces in a forest and assaults and seizes a camp. Afterwards, using the information to discover a secret camp run by Hershing in the area, and after Reznov and his men disguise themselves as German soldiers, Vylkalev takes them to infiltrate the camp, and when they escape with more information and Soviet prisoners, Vylkalev helps them escape and fights to hold a Russian defensive line, fighting off the pursuing Germans. Afterwards, seeing the information revealing that Hershing is secretly transporting stolen gold through the Siberian railway on armored trains, and that a second train is coming through commanded by Hershing's right hand, Leischer, Vylkalev and Reznov move to intercept it. Vylkalev fights past German defensive lines and eliminates supply camps, then keeps fighting German defenses and forces to assault the village, seizing and defending the village. When the train comes, they stop it, and Vylkalev helps battle the Asien Korps troops on the train as Reznov confronts Leischer. With the enemies on the train killed, they seize the train, despite Hershing's train already having reached Manchuria. Invasion of Manchuria After Berlin is seized, Vylkalev and Reznov are sent to reinforce Soviet forces fighting in Manchuria, intent on looking for Hershing. With Reznov's help, Vylkalev fights to assault Japanese defensive lines, fighting past Japanese forces and then helps rescue Chinese NRA forces lead by Chen Li Jin and Mei Lin. Vylkalev keeps fighting past Japanese forces and positions to help the Chinese fighting in fierce battles past Japanese defensive lines in the jungles, then they fight to assault a supply camp and village. Later on, the Russians and Chinese fight to defend their lines in a fierce battle, with Vylkalev fighting off Japanese assaults, then he and Reznov lead the Russians and Chinese in battling Japanese forces on the way to Hailar. Vylkalev fights past Japanese defenses and forces in the jungles, then fights to Hailar, assaulting the outskirts and then fighting through the streets and crushing resistance. Their they find Lieutenant Misuki, the right hand of Hiroshi Shirasaki, and get information out of him on Shirasaki's location before killing him. They also find Erich Schifler, a defecting German soldier, and with the help of Reznov and Erich, Vylkalev fights to defend Hailar in a vicious battle. Later on, Vylkalev fights to help Chinese forces battle Japanese defensive lines and positions, crushing Japanese forces, then Vylkalev and Reznov head with Russian forces to find Shirasaki. Vylkalev fights past both German and Japanese forces and defenses, fighting through several villages, and then they find Shirasaki and execute him, as well as finding a map that leads to Hershing's location in a castle. With help from Erich, Vylkalev and Reznov fight past German and Japanese forces to escape. Vylkalev and Reznov then lead Russian troops in assaulting the castle, fighting past German defenses in the jungles and then storming the castle itself, with Vylkalev placing charges on V2 missiles, and finding the leader of the Asien Korps, Wilhlm Eibenwitz, dead. However, Reznov is captured by Hershing so after sabotaging the missiles, Vylkalev and Erich try to rescue him. The charges go off and destroy the V2 missiles, setting the whole castle ablaze, and as Vylkalev tries to rescue Reznov, Vylkalev is captured by Hershing and brought to another tower. Once Reznov recaptures Hershing's uranium, Reznov gives chase to rescue Vylkalev, confronting and fighting Hershing. Vylkalev helps fight Hershing, and is nearly killed, but Reznov and Vylkalev work together and finally kill Hershing. As they move out to escape, suddenly however, Vylkalev takes Reznov's Model 27 pistol and shoots Reznov, finally revealing his vengeful grudge towards Reznov for accidentally killing his men in Stalingrad. Vylkalev then takes the uranium for himself and leaves Reznov to die in the burning castle. Cold War After the war ends, Vylkalev gives most of the uranium and its information to Stalin, which helps in the Soviet atomic weapons program. Secretly, however, Vylkalev kept some of the uranium for himself and even upgraded it. Vylkalev would become a high ranking officer in the Soviet Army, and would even help in the suppression of Czechoslovakia. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Vylkalev leads Soviet forces in the invasion, even personally leading them in battle. Vylkalev fights in a number of battles, in which he very brutally crushes Afghan resistance. In the siege of Khost, Vylkalev and his reinforcements arrive and viciously crush the Afghan forces, sending them to retreat and then executing any captives. When he sees SAS operative John Price among them, he captures Price and brings him to his base, unknowing that Reznov, who survived the incident in Manchuria, is following them. At the base in Afghanistan, it is revealed that Vylkalev has used the uranium he kept for himself to fit into an ICBM, which will be used along several other missiles to be launched at Berlin, thus starting a war that will take the whole world with the dying Soviet Union. At that moment, Reznov appears, and Reznov and Vylkalev get into a heated argument, which leads to Vylkalev starting the countdown to launch the several other missiles. Vylkalev then fights Reznov as Price sabotages the other missiles and captures the uranium fitted ICMB. A midst the fierce battle, both Vylkalev and Reznov seriously wound each other, with Reznov reclaiming his Model 27 pistol to wound Vylkalev. Reznov and Price then escape with the uranium fitted missile, leaving Vylkalev behind as the several other missiles go off with the charges Price placed on them, destroying the base and finally killing Vylkalev. Personality and Traits Vylkalev was an incredibly bitter, resentful and power hungry individual. He initially appeared to be very caring and affable, and was even humorous towards others. He displayed a very helpful and protective attitude towards his comrades and was very loyal to them. He would often help others with many of the most difficult tasks and bravely fought to protect them. However, he could also be very greedy and impatient with others, and was prone to talking down to others in a very haughty manner. However, this appeared to largely be a facade that concealed much of his true nature, and after he betrays Reznov, he shows himself to be extremely brutal, selfish, vindictive and bitter, and he was also very manipulative. He often used others to achieve his own goals and then discarded of them when they outlived their usefulness. He is shown to be a very proud man who has an extreme patriotic loyalty to the Soviet Union, which causes him to eventually become very xenophobic. Vylkalev as incredibly rage-driven, and he was very obsessive with getting what he wanted. Despite this, he was honorable, and he was genuinely caring of those he was close to, such as his men, and losing them due to friendly fire causes him to become vengeful. Relationships Viktor Reznov Vylkalev had a very complicated and interesting relationship with Reznov. Once they met, Reznov and Vylkalev were very helpful towards each other, and after Vylkalev saves him, Reznov starts having a very high amount of trust and respect for Vylkalev, serving alongside him in the most difficult missions. Even so, their relationship did get very rough at times, with the two starting to argue more often as they served alongside each other, and Vylkalev also expressed envy towards Reznov's success. Throughout all that time, however, Vylkalev despised Reznov, due to him accidentally killing Vylkalev's men. Once Vylkalev betrays him, Reznov loses all trust and respect in Vylkalev and seeks to hunt him down, especially after he kills both Dimitri and his wife and children. Karl von Hershing Vylkalev and Hershing hated each other, due to Hershing massacring a village Vylkalev was defending and killing some of his men. Vylkalev was hellbent on stopping Hershing and his operations, using whatever means to do so. When encountering each other, Vylkalev became resentful of Hershing and the both of them taunted each other. Vylkalev helps Reznov fight him and takes joy in killing him. Yuri Kamarov Vylkalev and Kamarov got along very well, and the two often discussed strategies and plans. Kamarov was never aware of what Vylkalev's true nature or motives were, however. John Price Vylkalev and Price already disliked each other, largely due to them being enemies, and this is only increased when Price discovers that Vylkalev is the one who betrayed Reznov, who had been mentoring and helping Price in Afghanistan. Skills and Abilities Manipulation Vylkalev is shown to be a very skilled manipulator, as he is able to persuade a number of very intelligent people, such as Viktor Reznov and Yuri Kamarov, to aid him in his endeavors, and gets them to trust him. He displays a high amount of charisma and helpfulness that appears genuine, while being able to completely mask his true motives. As such, it is hardly ever seen coming by those he manipulates when he later betrays and disposes of them. Fighting Vylkalev is also shown to be a very skilled fighter, being highly adept at using guns and being an expert marksman. He can take down several enemies by himself and is also skilled with a knife. 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